Effects of Imbalance of Self- and Other-Care on Counselors' Burnout

Abstract

This study was aimed at identifying counselor profiles based on their balance between self-care and caring for others, and examining how these profiles differ by levels of burnout and life satisfaction. We conducted a latent profile analysis of 292 Korean counselors and identified four groups: (a) low care, (b) typical care, (c) high care, and (d) low self-care/high other-care. Of these, the typical care and high care groups had lower levels of incompetence and deterioration in personal life and higher levels of life satisfaction compared with the low self-care/high other-care group. Counselor self-awareness, education level, work experience, and number of handled cases were found to be differentiators among the four profiles. Limitations and implications are discussed.